Exposure to asbestos, or more particularly, to an atmosphere containing asbestos fibers or dust, creates a significant health hazard. Pipes that are covered with asbestos insulation do not, normally, create such a hazard, but if the insulation is damaged, it is essential that it be removed or repaired as soon as possible. The awareness of the dangers inherent in the presence of asbestos has led to the removal of asbestos insulation, even when undamaged. As an example, quite often a potential purchaser of a building or house will demand removal of all asbestos before consummating the purchase.
Both federal and state laws require extraordinary protection for workers engaged in the removal of asbestos containing materials, and, to afford such protection without seriously hampering the work effort, numerous devices have been used.
In U.S. paten No. 4,626,291 of Natale, there is shown one such device for removing asbestos insulation from pipes which affords a large degree of protection for the worker. The Natale device comprises a flexible, transparent bag having attached thereto and extending into the interior thereof arm holes and sleeves which are terminated in gloves for the operator. The top of the bag is sealed around the pipe, and the bag is provided with a self sealing port through which a water hose is introduced to permit spraying of the asbestos, and through which subsequently a vacuum hose is introduced to maintain a negative pressure within the bag. The device is capable only of operating on one section of pipe at a time, and must be slid along the pipe to a new length thereof to be treated as soon as the asbestos has been removed from a first length of the pipe. Practical considerations dictate the maximum length of pipe that can be treated. For example, the operator must be able to reach, through the sleeves, all portions of the pipe section under treatment. Thus, quite literally, the length of the operator's arms is a limiting factor. Where the insulated pipe to be treated is of significant length the removal operation becomes tedious and time consuming, inasmuch as only one section at a time may be treated.
When the bag is filled with debris, the bottom portion is tied off from the upper portion prior to removal of the bag from the pipe, and the vacuum hose is used to vacuum up any loose pieces of insulation remaining.
Arrangements similar to the Natale device are shown in U.K. patent No. 1,567,270 of Atkinson, and in Canadian patent No. 1,188,191 of Atkinson. These arrangements are basically the same as the Natale device, differing primarily in minor details, and are subject to the same operational limitations discussed in connection with Natale.